NEWS OF THE MORNING

No. 1:Raptors block Cleveland’s path to perfection — The Cleveland Cavaliers had romped through the NBA Playoffs, winning their first 10 consecutive games this postseason to take a 2-0 lead over the Raptors into Saturday night’s Eastern Conference Finals Game 3 in Toronto. But any hope the Cavs had of going undefeated on the road to a return trip to the NBA Finals came to an end in Canada, as the Raptors won 99-84. As our own Steve Aschburner writes, Toronto leaned not on All-Stars Kyle Lowry or DeMar DeRozan, but instead got a huge performance from back-up big man Bismack Biyombo…

Near the end of the Toronto Raptors’ resilient and necessary 99-84 victory in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals, Biyombo batted a rebound to a teammate to cap a memorable night for both the Raptors and himself. Then he got batted back when Cavs forward Dahntay Jones hit him in, well, a nether region that had the high-revving Raptors center dropping to his knee, then going fetal on the floor as the final seconds ticked away.

Jones said later the hit was inadvertent, just accidental contact delivered down under when he tried to do something in garbage time — box out Biyombo — that no other Cleveland player had managed through the first 47 minutes and change.

Biyombo encouraged the honchos at the league office to be the judges of that when they go to the videotape for their standard review.

What they’ll see on pretty much every other play involving Toronto’s 6-foot-9 defensive dervish is a game-defining and series-slowing performance. Biyombo set a franchise record with 26 rebounds — not just a playoff record, a Raptors all-time high — and blocked four shots.

Not only did he channel the likes of Dikembe Mutombo, Dennis Rodman and Cleveland’s own Tristan Thompson, Biyombo swatted away any notions the Cavaliers, their fans or a bunch of experts around the league might have had that this would be done by Monday. Forget “fo’, fo’, fo’,” thanks to Biyombo’s “no, no, no!”

“He knows his role,” Toronto’s DeMarre Carroll said. “That’s the NBA. Everybody can’t be the Kevin Durant, LeBron James, Stephen Curry. You have to understand your role, your niche, and he understands it to a tee, and that’s a prime example of a true professional.”

Biyombo, 23, was reminiscent of several professionals Saturday, starting with Mutombo. Like the eight-time All-Star center who blocked 3,289 shots in 18 NBA seasons, Biyombo is a native of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. He gives up five inches to his famous countryman and NBA ambassador, is less than half his age and is 2,713 regular-season swats behind. Yet he has adopted the finger-wag that Mutombo used to such great effect on those blocks (second all-time since the league began counting them in 1973) and in that recent GEICO insurance commercial.

When did that start? “After I got the license from Mutombo,” Biyombo said. “He’s like my big brother, and I’ve had several conversations with him, especially defensively, how he was able to impact the game.” Though shorter, Biyombo has way more quick-twitch muscle going for him, getting higher off the ground than the former Georgetown star.

Then there’s Rodman, a comparison volunteered by Biyombo’s coach, Dwane Casey, when Casey wasn’t busy lobbying from the podium for a fairer shake from the officials. “He knows where the ball is coming off,” the Raptors coach said, of his guy’s Rodmanesque tendencies. “He’s an active player. He’s a guy who’s always moving, moving his feet… He understand angles.”

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No. 2:Toronto’s offense gets on track — Toronto’s Game 3 win wasn’t only about the big night from Biyombo — the Raptors also finally seemed to crack a Cleveland defense that had mostly been airtight throughout the postseason. As our own John Schuhmann writes from Toronto, the Raptors looked like the terrific offense they’d been during the regular season, in large part thanks to the performance they got from Cory Joseph…

The way the Toronto Raptors played in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals, you would think they were a top-five offensive team this year.

Oh yeah, they were.

You wouldn’t have known it from the Raptors’ first 16 games in these playoffs, in which they had strong offensive stretches here and there, rarely got big games from both of their All-Stars on the same night, and had scored less than a point per possession. While the other three teams still playing have scored at a rate at, near, or better than their regular-season marks, the Raptors had scored 8.6 fewer points per 100 possessions in the playoffs than they did in going 56-26.

Their first 14 games were against very good defensive teams that needed to make things ugly to win. With their incredibly potent offense, the Cleveland Cavaliers have no such need. But the Raptors couldn’t take advantage of Cleveland’s defense beyond strong first quarters in Games 1 and 2.

In Game 3 on Saturday, it was if the Raptors’ realized that Cleveland has no rim protection and a handful of sub-par defenders in its rotation. The result was a lot more attempts at the rim than they had in either of the first two games, their second-most efficient offensive performance of the playoffs (99 points on 85 possessions) and an end to the Cavs’ 17-game winning streak in playoff games within the Eastern Conference.

The Raptors’ defense was important. After allowing 56 points in the paint in Game 1 and another 50 in Game 2, they surrendered only 20 on Saturday and were good enough on the perimeter to keep from getting hit with the Cleveland 3-point onslaught. But they took control of this game with a huge offensive first half, scoring 60 points on 43 possessions before halftime.

DeMar DeRozan had his mid-range jumper going again, but didn’t settle. Kyle Lowry hit a few 3s and got his team into early offense. And the biggest key was Cory Joseph keeping things going when Lowry got into foul trouble.

In Game 1, Joseph got a quick hook in the second quarter from Raptors’ coach Dwane Casey and played a season-low 5:21 before halftime. The back-up point guard, who was a huge key to the Raptors’ success in the regular season, had been struggling since the start of the conference semifinals.

But Saturday brought a breakthrough for Joseph, who was a plus-10 in a little less than 18 first-half minutes, never leaving the game after entering for Lowry midway through the first quarter.

“He did a much better job tonight of controlling the game,” Casey said, “running the offense, keeping things under control, not letting the defense speed him up.”

Joseph’s minutes have proven to be critical for the Raptors, who are now 7-0 in the playoffs when he’s registered a non-negative plus-minus and 2-8 when they’ve been outscored with him on the floor.

The numbers told the story. The best rebounding team in the NBA was hammered on the backboards in Game 2 of the Western Conference finals. The bigger, taller, stronger Thunder were pushed around, dominated even.

“Of course, you take it personally,” OKC power forward Serge Ibaka said following Saturday’s practice. “It makes us feel like we’re soft, we’re weak, you know what I’m saying? … We have to do a better job next game and be aggressive, make sure if they’re going to score those baskets, that’s hurting them. They have to work hard to get us.

“Yes. It’s kind of weird, yes. It’s kind of weird, especially for us, playing bigs. They’re small. It’s kind of weird. But give them a lot of credit, because they’re the best team in the game. … It’s not going to be easy.”

The Thunder are 9-2 in the playoffs when they’ve out-rebounded their opponents. They were especially effective in the previous series against San Antonio by using a big lineup that kept 7-foot Steven Adams and 6-11 Enes Kanter on the court together. Adams was able to play his role as defensive stopper at one end, Kanter scored at the other and together they helped get the Thunder a bundle of second-chance points. However in the Warriors’ 118-91 runaway win in Game 2, they were the ones able to come up with 15 offensive rebounds.

“They are playing tougher than us,” Ibaka said. “You know, they were more aggressive than us, so I think that’s why. It’s more a game. We have to do a better job of starting aggressive, and just play our basketball.”

Thunder coach Billy Donovan wasn’t as quick to hang the “soft” label on his team.

“I don’t know if I would necessarily fully agree with that,” he said. “They did a great job on the backboard. They were really physical. They come up with loose basketballs. They made those plays, and in Game 1 I thought we did a better job. They did a great job raising their level of play, and you’ve got to give them credit. So I think maybe Serge’s point is that when you’re getting beat like that, to loose balls or rebounds, it can certainly make you look that way.

“I feel like we need to do a better job rebounding the basketball than we did. They were quicker on loose basketballs. They came in from different angles to rebound. They kept balls alive on the glass. We got caught into some rotations a couple times where we didn’t have our block-out assignments lined up.”

“I played against him a couple of times when he was the head coach out there in Phoenix,” Anthony said in an interview Saturday with WNBC-TV. “Everybody knows he likes to play an up-tempo pace of game, likes to get out in transition, likes to speed the game up a lot. So from that standpoint, I’ll definitely be looking forward to that.”

Anthony’s comments suggest that team president Phil Jackson has given Hornacek the freedom to tweak the triangle offense, as several reports have indicated. The Knicks ranked in the bottom third of the NBA in pace the past two seasons, when they ran the triangle. Hornacek ran a faster-paced offense with the Suns, who ranked in the top 10 in pace in each of his three seasons as coach.

Perhaps more importantly, Anthony said Saturday that he believes Hornacek gives the Knicks a chance to turn things around. The club has missed the playoffs in each of the past three seasons.

“It sets the stage for us to do that,” Anthony said. “[It’s a] new opportunity, something new to play with, something fresh, a clean plate. So hopefully we can build off of this momentum.”

Hornacek was offered the Knicks’ job by Jackson and general manager Steve Mills earlier this week, and negotiations on a contract with the club have begun, league sources said.

Interestingly, Anthony said he didn’t share his opinion on the coaching search with Jackson before Hornacek was offered the job.

Clippers Coach Doc Rivers said the team had completed its part of the investigation into an altercation a week ago in Toronto in which Griffin repeatedly punched team assistant equipment manager Matias Testi, leaving Griffin with a broken right hand and Testi with a severely swollen face.

“We’re very satisfied with all the information we have,” Rivers said before the Clippers defeated the Lakers, 105-93, for their ninth consecutive victory in the series. “For us, it’s closed.”

Punishment for Griffin could be announced as soon as early next week, said a person close to the situation not authorized to discuss it publicly. Rivers said the NBA would take the lead in determining disciplinary measures, which could include a suspension and/or a fine.

Griffin is already slated to miss four to six weeks because of his broken hand. Rivers intimated that Griffin would rejoin his teammates on the bench once his punishment was announced but said he was unsure when Testi would return to the locker room.

Rivers said Griffin had expressed remorse in conversations with the coach and his teammates. Griffin also has resumed speaking to Testi, Rivers said, though the coach did not know whether the longtime friends had reached an agreement that would avoid a legal entanglement.

“He feels awful about it and he’s let everyone know that,” Rivers said of Griffin. “That’s all you can do, man. You have to forgive people at some point. I believe that. We built Richard Nixon a library.”

Rivers invoked the name of another controversial U.S. president while discussing whether the use of alcohol precipitated the altercation.

“It depends on what you call ‘alcohol,’” Rivers said. “I feel like Bill Clinton right now. It really does. Did guys have a drink? I’m sure they did. Other than that, I’m going to say, no, alcohol wasn’t involved.”

Rivers said he knew what led to the scuffle but wouldn’t divulge any specifics.

Rivers would not say whether the team intended to require anger management courses for Griffin, who was also involved in an October 2014 incident in which he allegedly grabbed a man at a Las Vegas nightclub after the man had taken pictures of Clippers players with his cellphone. Misdemeanor battery charges were later dropped in the case because of insufficient evidence.

“If that’s what it takes, we’ll do it,” Rivers said of anger management, “but one step at a time right now.”

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No. 2:Cavs’ Big Three breaks out — Thanks to Kyrie Irving‘s knee injury, the Cavs have only had their Big Three of LeBron James, Kevin Love and Irving together for a few weeks this season. Last night against Detroit, in recently appointed coach Tyronn Lue‘s fourth game, the trio finally posted big games at the same time, as each player surpassed 20 points in the Cleveland win. As Dave McMenamin writes for ESPN, it’s the kind of performance the Cavs are hoping to see more of …

Last season, when healthy, that trio was ridiculed as the Big 2 1/2, when Love struggled to find the game he was known for in Minnesota. In the Finals, it became the Big One after Irving joined Love on the injured list. To start this season, it was the Big Two while Irving still recovered from left knee surgery.

And this week, at least by All-Star standards, it became the Big One again; James became the Cavs’ lone representative for next month’s festivities when Irving and Love were left off the East reserves roster despite Cleveland’s No. 1 spot in the conference.

In Friday’s 114-106 win over the Detroit Pistons, however, they gave a glimpse of just how good they can be when they play in harmony. For the first time all season, and only the ninth time since they came to be, each of them scored at least 20 points. Love led the way (29 points on 9-for-19 shooting including 5-for-7 on 3-pointers with 6 rebounds and 3 assists), Irving was right behind him (28 points on 11-for-19, 4 rebounds and 2 assists) and James next (20 points on 7-for-16, 9 rebounds, 8 assists).

While it was their collective effort that helped the Cavs go up by as many as 20 points against a Pistons team that came in 15-7 at home (including an overtime win over Cleveland at the Palace in November), there was individual significance in each of their performances.

For Irving, not only was he exploding offensively after an 8-point outing Wednesday in a win against Phoenix, but he was following coach Tyronn Lue’s instructions while doing so. “I just told Ky, I want him to be aggressive — looking to get his game back, looking to get his legs back,” Lue said before the game. “I want him to be aggressive scoring the ball. I don’t care about his misses or mistakes.”

Before the Phoenix Suns game on Thursday, Lue talked about how efficient the Cavs have become from deep because of their passing (a no-pass shot resulted in 27 percent accuracy, one pass was 32 percent, two passes were 40 percent and then three passes or more, a whopping 52 percent from 3). Irving bristled when asked about the stat after the Phoenix game, perhaps feeling the question was slighting his one-on-one ability. He said his teammates were talented enough to score, no matter how many passes preceded their attempt. It turns out Lue gave special dispensation to Irving. Yes, if there’s an open man, find him. But right now, Lue isn’t counting Irving’s passes or assist totals. The fact that Irving dropped only two dimes in Detroit was OK because his coach’s priority for him right now is simply to push the pace and find the rhythm that will allow him to become dominant again.

For Love, it was the classic statement game you see from a guy who feels as if he has been snubbed from the All-Star Game. While it’s hard to argue that Andre Drummond isn’t deserving of his reserve spot, Love had the better game; Drummond finished with 20 points and eight rebounds in the loss. It was also Love’s best offensive performance since Irving’s return from injury, and it felt like a long time coming.

“We’ll continue to use Kevin the right way, continue to try to get him to his comfort spots and comfort zones,” Lue said. “I think it’ll be good.”

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No. 3:Curry downplays win prediction —Stephen Curry is an avowed fan of the Carolina Panthers, which means next weekend he’s got two big games on his calendar: Super Bowl 50, and of course the Warriors/Thunder matchup. And while Curry has generally preferred to let his play on the court do the talking for him, it was a little surprising when he recently predicted wins that weekend for both the Warriors and the Panthers. After word got back to the Thunder, as Diamond Leung writes, Curry said he was just having fun …

Stephen Curry indicated he was merely having fun when speaking of the Carolina Panthers winning the upcoming Super Bowl and the Warriors also being victorious the night before the football game.

The Warriors’ home game Feb. 6 happens to come against the Oklahoma City Thunder, a team considered to be one of the roadblocks on their path toward repeating as NBA champions.

“It’ll be a good 48 hours — a win and a win,” Curry said Thursday, laughing.

Curry spoke in San Francisco at the announcement of the Warriors’ new arena being named Chase Center, replying to the emcee who noted the reigning MVP had “kind of a big game on Saturday” before he is expected to attend the Super Bowl at Levi’s Stadium to watch his hometown Panthers.

Asked about the comment, Thunder point guard Russell Westbrook gave lengthy stares and one-time MVP Kevin Durant told reporters, “What else is he supposed to say?” before smiling and declining further comment.

“It’s more comical for me because any comments you make are going to get amplified and what have you, so it is what it is,” Curry said of the comment being blown up. “People who know me and know what I’m about know that I’m not the guy out there talking a big game. It’s more what I do on the floor.

“Obviously we want to get a win on Saturday, and obviously I want the (Panthers) to win on Sunday,” Curry said, referring to the Oklahoma City game. “If that means whatever, I’m comfortable with that because I’m going to go out and play hard that night and try to get a win against a good OKC team when that comes around. It’s a different experience (with the comment being blown up) but a learning experience for sure.”

Curry’s comments last week before the Warriors’ game against the Cleveland Cavaliers also raised eyebrows.

“Obviously, walking in the locker room, it’ll be good memories,” Curry said. “Hopefully, it still smells a little bit like champagne.”

Curry later explained he was being sarcastic.

“I’m never going to try to guard what I say,” Curry said. “I just be myself. I respect every single player in this league, every single team in this league, and that’ll never change. A lot of good comes from that quick-trigger reporting where one comment whether it’s sarcastic or trying to be funny or what have you gets blown up, but you’ve got to take the good with the bad.”

Three days before the 2015 NBA Draft, and Kristaps Porzingis feared everything slipping away. He wanted New York, the Knicks, the Garden. Still, Porzingis needed the Knicks to want him, too. And now, 20 minutes into his private workout for Phil Jackson at the franchise’s suburban practice facility, his quad tightened and his movement stopped. Porzingis bent over, dread washing over him.

“There was most definitely a lot of fear,” Porzingis told The Vertical. “So, so frustrating. This was where I wanted to be – New York. It was my last workout before the draft, and now, this happens.

“As I walked off the court, I was thinking to myself, ‘They’re not going to take me. I didn’t do anything in the workout. They’re not going to take me fourth.’ ”

All around Porzingis, Knicks officials gathered. Immediately, they agreed to end the workout. No need to risk injury, no need to push further. The Knicks had Porzingis dunking medicine balls and shooting and running the floor. For Jackson, this was only his second time watching Porzingis live.

Across the Knicks’ practice gym, Porzingis’ agent, Andy Miller, and Kristaps’ older brother and co-agent, Janis Porzingis, stood on the sidelines. Miller remained unsure of the franchise’s intentions with his client, but had increasingly believed that only the courage to withstand the predictable public outcry of choosing a pasty, 7-foot-3 Latvian teenager in the cynical New York market would stop the Knicks from choosing him.

Hours later, Porzingis sat at dinner with the Knicks elders. Jackson and general manager Steve Mills were probing Porzingis, trying to measure his sense of purpose and maturity to withstand what they believed could be a long learning curve in a most cruel and unforgiving market.

Porzingis was perfect in these settings: engaging and enlightened. They talked and talked about everything but the game, and, finally, Jackson brought it up.

“What do you know about basketball?”

Porzingis hesitated for a moment, stunned, searching for the words. He repeated the question in his mind. What do I know about basketball?

Finally, Porzingis answered: “What do you want me to know about basketball?”

“Do you know defense?” Jackson asked.

“I know defense,” Porzingis said.

And so they talked about some principles of defense and some offense, and looking back Porzingis laughs now. “Phil Jackson is always two steps ahead of you,” he said.

NEWS OF THE MORNING

No. 1: Giannis sees Bucks as (more) family — It’s too bad, when Milwaukee forward Giannis Antetokounmpo writes about himself on his official blog, that he doesn’t lapse into third-person references to himself. If he did, he’d face the same challenge – spelling and typing that last name repeatedly – other scribes face. Nonetheless, the Bucks’ rising star posted Friday about the bond he feels with his team and how his sense of family extends these days to his workplace:

The Bucks and John Hammond chose me in the draft, got me in the NBA, kept me in the team with a role from my very first season and they are my basketball family. Not only that, but already at this young age, they have enough faith in me as a leader and they are doing everything in order to develop all of my potential. From my side, I feel that I want to be playing in the Bucks. I’m not talking about my next contract. The way I feel now, I want to keep playing for the Milwaukee Bucks for the next 20 years!

You never know how life turns out. Three years ago I was thinking that I might be playing for Filathlitikos forever! All of a sudden, the draft emerged, the NBA, the Bucks and everything that followed. I don’t know how I’ll be feeling and thinking in 2, 3 or more years. Right now I feel like I want to play for the Milwaukee Bucks forever.
…
I’m a guy who doesn’t really care about glamour and big markets. I like to be home all day. I get up in the morning, I take a shower and I go to practice. When I’m finished, the only thing that’s on my mind is to go back home and spend time with my family. I usually feel that I prefer to hide from people.
…
Okay, if LeBron said to me ‘Come to my team and play with me,’ I’d think about it! (laughs) He’s the best player in the world and a member of that exclusive group of the best that have ever played the game. Still, though, the Milwaukee Bucks would come first. They will always be the team that gave me my chance and opened up the doors to paradise.

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No. 2:Project Durant on track in Washington — The Washington Wizards aren’t running afoul of NBA tampering rules, but within the letter of the law, they’re not hiding the fact that they hope to be players in what most expect to be a Kevin Durant Sweeptakes next July. Jorge Castillo of the Washington Postlooked at the Wizards’ plan, which will be competing with approximately 28 other teams’ plans 11.5 months from now in trying to lure the NBA’s 2014 MVP away from Oklahoma City:

The Washington Wizards have meticulously prepared for the opportunity to coax Durant, born in the District and a product of Montrose Christian School, to Washington once the clock strikes midnight on July 1, 2016. But the courting of Durant, 26, will be wildly competitive: Thanks to the coming flood of money from a new television contract that will kick in next July, a bevy of franchises will have the salary cap space to offer the maximum possible contract to Durant, the 2014 league MVP. Other teams are only a couple moves away from getting in the mix. It could become a free-for-all, raising the risks of going all-in for one player.

“The one thing I know about my brother is he wants to win,” said Damion James, Durant’s best friend and a member of the Wizards’ summer league team. “He’ll do whatever it takes to win. Whoever gives him the best chance to win is where he’s going to end up.”
…
“It’s difficult to imagine him leaving [the Thunder],” said a Western Conference executive, who spoke under condition of anonymity because league tampering rules bar discussing potential free agents who are still under contract with another team. “That team is loaded. If they can stay healthy, they’re championship favorites.”

Oklahoma City is one of the NBA’s smallest markets, a factor that would’ve repelled a player of Durant’s caliber just a few years ago, but technology has altered the NBA terrain. No longer does a player need to play in a metropolis to become a superstar and procure endorsement dollars. Every game is available to anyone, anywhere. Highlights are instantly accessible on the Internet. Social media is replete with NBA fandom. Durant, a Nike pillar, and [Russell] Westbrook, a fashion impresario of sorts, are two poster boys of the shift. The fact that [LaMarcus] Aldridge spurned a meeting with the Knicks and turned down the Lakers to sign this month with the San Antonio Spurs seemed to solidify the change.

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No. 3:Knicks, if not Jackson, kept ‘Melo in loop — Lest anyone fret that Carmelo Anthony was being kept in the dark on the New York Knicks’ offseason maneuvers, the New York Poststepped up to report that the veteran All-Star scorer actually was in the loop on team transactions. Certainly no Knicks fan could aide Anthony not being consulted, considering how, er, well thing have gone around Madison Square Garden lately:

According to an NBA source, general manager Steve Mills has been in communication with Anthony across the free-agent process to explain the recent additions.

As president, [Phil] Jackson delegates a lot, and Mills is in charge of directly speaking with agents and other teams regarding potential trades or free-agent acquisitions. According to the source, Mills also handles reaching out to players on matters such as recent transactions.

In fact, Mills has said publicly Anthony spent a lot of time in his office going over “the boards’’ regarding potential free agents they were after. One of the combinations, Mills has said, was the trifecta of Robin Lopez, Arron Afflalo and Kyle O’Quinn. The Knicks still had enough cap space to sign 2011 draft bust Derrick Williams and re-up with Lou Amundson and Lance Thomas for more than their minimums.

Jackson raised eyebrows on Monday when he said he had yet to speak with the vacationing Anthony, sparking speculation perhaps the Knicks rehabbing superstar was displeased with the signings. The Post reported on Wednesday Anthony had been in touch with Knicks officials this week and expressed frustration he was being perceived as a malcontent, and said he still “had trust in Phil.’’

After the draft, ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith reported Anthony felt “hoodwinked’’ by Jackson’s selection of European project Kristaps Porzingis with the No. 4 overall pick. The Post reported Anthony was indeed disappointed on Draft night but more because his friend Tim Hardaway Jr. was traded for a college prospect he barely saw play — point guard Jerian Grant. No one, other than Anthony, remains from the roster since Jackson took over 16 months ago.

Since, Anthony has been outspoken about his “love’’ for Porzingis and called him directly to tell him he wasn’t upset. Anthony watched Porzingis’ Knicks workout and multiple sources said he felt the Latvian big man would be a good pick.

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No. 4: Smart to miss Africa game — The good news for Boston guard Marcus Smart and the Celtics was that the two fingers on his right hand that Smart injured Thursday in the Las Vegas Summer League won’t require surgery. The unfortunate news is that Smart will miss participating in the NBA’s exhibition game in South Africa Aug. 1. Here is some more on that situation from the Boston Globe:

Smart, guard Evan Turner, and coach Brad Stevens were to be among a contingent of NBA players and coaches taking part in the first NBA game played in Africa. But Smart will now stay in Boston as his fingers heal.

Smart has not been available to speak to reporters since suffering the injury. One source said the guard is disappointed about missing the game in Africa but relieved that his injury is not more serious.

With 6:34 left in the second quarter of Boston’s summer league game against Portland, Smart, guard Terry Rozier, and Trail Blazers forward Noah Vonleh all converged on a loose ball. Smart braced himself with his right hand as he fell, and his right index and middle fingers were dislocated.

A bone in Smart’s hand also punctured his skin, requiring five stitches. Those sutures could slow Smart’s recovery, as they will affect his ability to regain range of motion in his fingers. Still, the Celtics were relieved that the X-rays on Smart’s hand were negative.

Celtics assistant coach Micah Shrewsberry said Smart will remain with the team as long as they are in the summer league playoffs, partly because he wants to support his team, and partly because the medical staff is here. Smart will undergo further evaluation when he returns to Boston.

NEWS OF THE MORNING

No. 1:Rockets not fretting Howard’s injury too much (yet) — Houston Rockets center Dwight Howard had limited effectiveness in Game 1 of the Western Conference finals last night after teammate Josh Smith rolled into his left knee on a play. Howard’s status for Wednesday’s Game 2 remains unknown, but based on the postgame buzz our Scott Howard-Cooper was able to sniff out, Houston is trying to remain optimistic as it awaits further updates:

The good news, because there actually is some: It was the left knee this time, not the one that cost him 41 games in the regular season, and the initial diagnosis on Tuesday night was that Dwight Howard had suffered a bruise when the impact from Josh Smith crashing into the leg in the first quarter could have been much worse.

The bad news: Almost everything else.

The Rockets lost the opener of the Western Conference finals to the Warriors on Tuesday at Oracle Arena, lost Howard for most of the night because of another knee injury, are unsure of his availability heading toward Game 2 on Thursday, and all while facing a team that never needs a second invitation to jet around the court playing small ball.

…

There was no telling in the aftermath of Golden State’s 110-106 victory how much the Rockets can expect, if anything, from Howard two nights later. Another update on his status is likely to come after practice Wednesday at the same Oracle Arena that thundered with noise right on schedule as the home team played in the conference finals for the first time in nearly 39 years.

Teammate and long-time friend Smith said “I’m really concerned,” but declined to elaborate what pushed him to that place as Houston gave no sense the injury was serious. Coach Kevin McHale, not waiting for the end of the first question at his postgame news conference, said “I don’t know. We’ll probably know tomorrow.”

Howard sounded the most optimistic tone of all, insisting: “I don’t think that it’s going to be something that is going to restrict me from playing for the rest of the series. Everything happens for a reason. I’m not going to kill myself over it. I’m just going to stay positive, stay focused and the doctors are going to do their job to make sure I get on the floor.”

May 19, 2015 · 10:46 PM ET

NEW YORK — There will likely be three straight No. 1 picks on the same roster next season.

The Minnesota Timberwolves won the No. 1 pick of the 2015 Draft at Tuesday’s Lottery, less than nine months after acquiring the No. 1 picks from 2013 (Anthony Bennett) and 2014 (Andrew Wiggins) in a trade with Cleveland for Kevin Love.

Minnesota is the first team to finish with the league’s worst record and win the Lottery since the Orlando Magic did it in 2004. They had a 25 percent chance to win it.

“I didn’t anticipate that it would go this way,” Wolves owner Glen Taylor said afterward, noting that it was far more likely that his team didn’t win the No. 1 pick. “I just feel really honored that we have a chance to be in this position.”

While Bennett is possibly a bust, Wiggins looks like a two-way star. And the Wolves have three more former Lottery picks under the age of 25 – Zach LaVine (No. 13 in 2014), Shabazz Muhammad (No. 14 in 2013) and Ricky Rubio (No. 5 in 2009) – on the roster as well.

They’ll likely add a big man – Duke’s Jahlil Okafor or Kentucky’s Karl-Anthony Towns – to that young core. And that young big could have Kevin Garnett as a mentor. Taylor said he expects Garnett, a free agent this summer, to be back, saying that Garnett has already been working out.

“I see that he’s out working really hard to get his knees into shape,” Taylor said. “So I anticipate that he’s interested in coming back. I can’t say that for sure, but I don’t know why he would be out there doing what he’s doing if he didn’t want to come back.”

Taylor also believes that Flip Saunders, currently the Wolves’ president and head coach, will remain on the bench for another year.

“It’s not definite,” Taylor said, “but I think with the effort that he put in this year to bring this team along that it’s probably 90 percent, unless he sees somebody and he changes his mind and he can convince me.

“I think eventually I want a different coach. I want him to be the GM. My guess is that he’ll go another year.”

The New York Knicks, who were the worst team in the league (the spot that won the Lottery) with just five days left in the season, were the only team to move down from their spot on Tuesday. They fell from second to fourth, swapping spots with the Los Angeles Lakers.

“Obviously, we would have liked to have a higher pick,” Knicks general manager Steve Mills said, “but we went into this knowing that, anywhere from 1-5, we were going to get a good player. And as we look at this, this is a player that’s complementary to a player that we have in place in Carmelo and what we’re going to do in free agency.”

At No. 2, the Lakers could add the big man that the Wolves don’t pick, teaming him with last year’s No. 7 pick Julius Randle for the post-Kobe-Bryant era, which will begin after next season.

At No. 3, the Philadelphia 76ers should get a guard to feed Joel Embiid and Nerlens Noel. But GM Sam Hinkie certainly isn’t going to say that he wouldn’t draft one of the bigs if he was available.

“History’s not so kind to drafting for need,” Hinkie said. “I think, wherever we are, we’ll pay a lot of attention to who we think is the best player and how that looks. Sometimes, it’s close, and that moves some things. And sometimes, it’s not close.

“A year ago, people would have reasonably said we don’t need Joel Embiid. I think we need Joel Embiid and I think what he’ll provide for us will be useful.”

NEWS OF THE MORNING

No. 1:Playoff hopes fading for aching Heat— The race for the No. 8 playoff spot in the Eastern Conference remains a tightly contested one, with the Miami Heat, Brooklyn Nets, Charlotte Hornets and (to a lesser degree) Detroit Pistons and Indiana Pacers all within striking distance of it. The Heat’s loss last night in Cleveland moved it into a tie with Brooklyn for the spot, but that status may be short-lived. Bleacher Report’s Ethan Skolnick reports on how Dwyane Wade‘s injury, coupled with Miami’s already banged-up roster, may spell doom for the Heat’s playoff hopes:

Facing a prospect of four rather bland first-round matchups in the Eastern Conference postseason, it’s been understandable to crave a late-April collision between Cleveland and Miami, not simply for the soap opera potential, but also for the chance of a competitive series, considering that Wade and the Heat handled the Cavaliers twice at home in the regular season.

Thursday’s shellacking made that series less likely, pushing the Heat a half-game behind seventh-seeded Brooklyn—the spot that would draw certain-to-be-second-seeded Cleveland—and into a tie with eighth-seeded Boston, with Charlotte and Indiana still lurking close behind. But it did more than that. It also showed why such a series, even if it occurred, would likely be a letdown, for however little time it lasted.

…

The Heat’s only real chance to reach the playoffs, and compete once there, is a dynamic, dashing Dwyane Wade, which is why it made little sense for Wade to play Thursday night. Not when his left knee was clearly bugging him throughout much of Tuesday’s loss to the Spurs; not with beating the rested Cavaliers an extreme longshot; and not with such a critical stretch of schedule—a back-to-back against the Pistons and Pacers, followed a day later by a home game against the Hornets—coming up. That was true even prior to Wade, along with Udonis Haslem, missing Thursday’s shootaround with the flu. The tactical play, even if not the popular one, would have been to sit out until Saturday, when Wade’s presence would have given the Heat a significant edge against the Pistons.

…

The unfortunate truth for Miami is that they are now at risk of heading down from here. Wade said he would spend Friday, after arriving in Detroit, getting treatment as he always does. But his Instagram post, in which he said he prayed he could join the team on the court on this road trip—which finishes Sunday in Indianapolis—wasn’t especially encouraging.

…

“The goal has just been get healthy, get it going,” Luol Deng said. “We had our struggles early in the year, we made the trade (for Dragic) and then C.B. went down. Just guys been in and out. It’s been a very, not making excuses or anything, but in terms of consistency, it’s really been difficult for everybody.”

…

That’s where the Heat are, with seven games left.

Dealing with a very bad hand.

Hardly looking like a threat to Cleveland, or anyone else. Hardly looking like a team that can salvage the Eastern Conference’s first round as half of a showcase series.

“Can’t keep everybody healthy,” Mario Chalmers said.

“That type of year,” Deng said.

“The story of the season,” Wade said. “It continues.”

If he can’t play this weekend, it probably won’t continue much longer.

July 25, 2014 · 5:43 PM ET

The NBA players association’s 18-month search for a permanent executive director could come to an end next week in Las Vegas when members of the NBPA executive committee and other union reps meet with finalists for the position.

As part of the union’s annual summer meetings, the hiring of a replacement for Billy Hunter, ousted at All-Star Weekend in Houston in February 2013 amid allegations of allegations of conflicts of interest and mismanagement, looms as the biggest likely headline. Chris Paul, point guard of the Los Angeles Clippers, was elected NBPA president at last year’s meetings in August after a four-year run as one of several vice presidents.

An executive search overseen by Sacramento Mayor (and former NBA All-Star) Kevin Johnson and conducted by Chicago-based Reilly Partners was in the final stages of winnowing a list of 18 to 20 candidates down to a trio of finalists, league sources told NBA.com. The three candidates will be presented on Monday afternoon, one insider specified, with each scheduled for 45-minute sessions to give their visions and qualifications to the members. Deliberation would take place that evening, with a vote tentatively scheduled for 8 p.m. PDT.

Johnson, who in his most recent NBA incarnation helped broker the deal for his city to keep the Sacramento Kings and thwarting a potential sale and move to Seattle, was enlisted in April to assist in the NBPA search. In May, Johnson met with players and agents in Chicago, synched up to the pre-draft camp held in that city, to update them on the search’s progress.

Prior to Johnson’s involvement, the NBPA had moved slowly in the process. Despite the presence of deputy general counsel Ron Klempner as the acting executive director, the NBA had cited several matters on which it was awaiting Hunter’s permanent replacement, including the possible implementation of testing for human growth hormone (HGH) use.

By All-Star Weekend in New Orleans last February, two leading candidates had emerged: David White, an executive with the Screen Actors Guild, and Michele Roberts, a corporate lawyer from New York.

But more recently, two more names – New York Knicks GM Steve Mills and powerful NBA agent Arn Tellem – have surfaced. Last weekend, longtime basketball writer Peter Vecsey speculated on both men via Twitter, pivoting to Tellem by Monday based on word that Knicks boss Phil Jackson is happy with his working relationship with Mills:

Tellem, 60, is considered to be one of the most influential sports agent in the world. He serves as Vice Chairman on the Wasserman Media Group and, according to his biography on that firm’s Web site, has negotiated NBA and MLB contracts worth more than $3.5 billion since 2008. The basketball site Hoopshype.com ranks Tellem first among NBA agents with a stable of 35 clients and contracts totaling nearly $273 million.

If Tellem is among the NBPA search’s finalists, his client relationships could be an issue for players who haven’t used his services. As one former NBA player knowledgeable in union business put it, “With all of his players and all of his friends who are agents, all those relationships you have, how do you make decisions and judgments in an unbiased way?”

The ex-player added: “Arn is a great negotiator, without a doubt. It would be interesting to see him across the table from Adam Silver in 2016.”

The current collective bargaining agreement between the players and the owners can be re-opened by either side after the 2016-17 season, with talks for a new deal presumably beginning sometime late in 2016. The next round of labor talks will be Silver’s first as NBA commissioner, though he was heavily involved and influential as David Stern‘s deputy during previous negotiations.

In other NBPA news, Bloomberg.com reported this week that the union spent about $5.42 million on the internal audit that resulted in Hunter’s dismissal. That amounts to $12,378 per each of the 438 members, compared to $10,000 annual dues.

No. 1:Power play knocks out Kidd? — Seemingly out of nowhere, Jason Kidd appears to be on his way out as coach of the Brooklyn Nets. Rebuffed by the Nets’ ownership on several demands seeking more control of the club, Kidd, whose rookie season started shakily, but recovered to advance to the second round of the playoffs, could be headed to a position with the Milwaukee Bucks. Tim Bontemps of the New York Post broke the story:

According to a league source, Kidd recently approached ownership with a series of demands, including the role of overseeing the Nets’ basketball operations department in addition to his head coaching responsibilities. The source said Kidd didn’t want general manager Billy King to be dismissed, but wanted to be given a title and placed above him in the organizational hierarchy.

Ownership declined to grant Kidd that kind of power, which is rare for any coach in the league to have. The source said ownership felt Kidd wasn’t ready for that kind of responsibility after having only one year of coaching experience — the team finished his first season on the bench with a 44-38 record, good for sixth in the Eastern Conference — and allowed Kidd to seek other opportunities.

The franchise then was asked by the Bucks for permission to speak with Kidd about the prospect of hiring him, and the Nets allowed them to do so.
Bucks coach Larry Drew just completed his first season in Milwaukee after the team hired him last summer following his contract expiring with Atlanta.

Kidd did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

***

No. 2:Bucks, Nets already talking compensation for Kidd — This story moved at a blazing pace Saturday night and it appears that the Nets and Bucks are already discussing compensation to release Jason Kidd from the final three years of his original four-year, $10.5 million contract. The connection between Kidd and the Bucks? Bucks co-owner Marc Lasry is known to be close with Kidd after stints as a Nets minority owner and as his financial adviser. Lasry and Wes Edens, two New York investment firm executives, bought the team for about $550 million earlier this year. ESPN.com’s Marc Stein fills in the details:

Sources close to the situation said the Bucks and Nets already have begun discussing possible compensation to release Kidd from the final three years of his original four-year, $10.5 million contract.

“I don’t think Kidd will be back,” a source close to the process said Saturday night.

New Bucks co-owner Marc Lasry is known to be close with Kidd after stints as a Nets minority owner and as the former All-Star point guard’s financial adviser. Lasry and Wes Edens, two New York investment firm executives, bought the team for about $550 million earlier this year.

Bucks coach Larry Drew, who guided the team to an NBA-worst 15-67 record in his first season, and Milwaukee’s front office were unaware Kidd was about to potentially interview for their jobs, sources told ESPN’s Brian Windhorst.

***

No. 3:Pieces falling in place for Heat master plan — A second and third shoe dropped Saturday in the Miami Heat’s plan to retain the Big Three and re-tool around them. Dwyane Wade opted out of the final two years and $41.8 million on his contract and Udonis Haslem chose not to opt into the final year of his contract. Both players will become free agents on Tuesday. They join LeBron James in opting out and now Chris Bosh is expected to follow by Monday’s deadline. Joseph Goodman of the Miami Herald puts the moves in perspective:

Team president Pat Riley was informed that Udonis Haslem and Dwyane Wade decided to exercise the early termination option in their contracts, according to agent Henry Thomas, and the moves put into motion a plan that could retool the Heat’s roster for another run at an NBA championship.

The ultimate goal, of course, is to keep LeBron James in Miami and then add some new talent around him, Wade and Chris Bosh.

“Today we were notified of Dwyane’s intention to opt out of his contract and Udonis’ intention to not opt into his contract, making both players free agents,” Riley said in a statement. “Dwyane has been the cornerstone of our organization for over a decade, and we hope he remains a part of the Heat family for life.

“Udonis has been the heartbeat of this team for 11 years. He has sacrificed countless times to make this organization successful, and he is the epitome of what this organization stands for. We look forward to meeting with Dwyane and Udonis and their agent in the coming days to discuss our future together.”

Bosh remained undecided on his contractual future on Saturday afternoon but will soon need to inform the Heat of his decision. The deadline for opt outs is Monday, and teams and players can begin negotiating free agency on Tuesday. As Heat fans went into meltdown mode on Twitter on Saturday and conflicting reports began popping up about Bosh, the Heat’s center didn’t seem too concerned.

“James Rodríguez is a beast!” Bosh wrote on Twitter after the Colombian midfielder’s goal in the first half of his team’s World Cup match against Uruguay.

Bosh said earlier this past season and again in the playoffs that he would take less money for the 2013-14 season to remain in Miami and keep the Heat’s core together. According to a report by ESPN, Bosh is seeking a new five-year contract worth between $15 million to $16 million per season. Bosh is currently on the books for more than $20 million for next season. Wade was also under contract for more than $20 million next season, and Haslem was set to be paid $4.6 million.

In the end, June 28, 2014, could be remembered as another landmark day in the history of Heat offseason roster building.

***

No. 4:Gasol a Melo magnet? — Pau Gasol never felt wanted by former Lakers coach Mike D’Antoni. Feeling the love no longer seems an issue. Both the Lakers and Knicks are said to be interested in the 7-foot Spaniard’s services — sure, still as one of the top offensive centers in the game, but the Lakers think Gasol can help attract Carmelo Anthony to the purple-and-gold. Funny, the Knicks seem to think the same thing, and why not? Knicks president Phil Jackson has an excellent relationship himself with Gasol. Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com has more:

Although the Lakers’ ideal free agency scenario involves convincing both LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony to come play for them this summer, according to a source with knowledge of the team’s thinking, they are not ruling out the return of the four-time All-Star and two-time NBA champion Gasol by any means.

In fact, should it appear that James and Anthony are not pursuing a mutual destination as a package deal — especially with Dwyane Wade, Udonis Haslem and Chris Bosh opting out of their deals with the Miami Heat — the Lakers believe that having Gasol back on the team could be vital in their solo pursuit of Anthony.

While the last two seasons for Gasol haven’t gone anything like when he first got to L.A. and helped lead the team to three straight NBA Finals appearances, he is still considered one of the most offensively talented big men in the game when healthy. Gasol averaged 17.4 points, 9.7 rebounds and 3.4 assists last season, but missed 22 games because of a variety of injuries, including a bout with vertigo.

Coincidentally, the New York Knicks, now run by former Lakers coach Phil Jackson, also plan to go after Gasol in hopes of convincing Anthony to stay, a source told ESPN.

It remains to be seen how receptive Gasol will be to the Lakers’ pitch.

“My decision will be based purely on sporting considerations,” Gasol wrote on his personal website in February. “It couldn’t be any other way. I want to be in a team with a real chance of winning a ring and where I can help to compete for it. I would like to win another championship. The financial side comes second at this stage of my career.”

***

No. 5:Knicks like chances with Anthony — Free agency doesn’t begin until midnight Tuesday, but the New York Knicks are apparently feeling pretty decent about their chances to keep Carmelo Anthony. They feel he and new team president Phil Jackson have made a connection could have the star scorer believing what the 11-time champion as a coach is selling. Marc Berman of the New York Post brings the latest:

According to one Knicks player Carmelo Anthony spoke to recently, he gave no indication he was planning an exit strategy from New York.

The source told The Post this week one reason Anthony wants to remain in New York is he has enjoyed being in a big media market, as opposed to being in Denver.

The Post reported two weeks ago Knicks officials liked their odds of re-signing Anthony following their June 13 dinner meeting in Los Angeles in which Phil Jackson, coach Derek Fisher and general manager Steve Mills met with Anthony and his agent Leon Rose and broached the Mavericks trade.

The Post reported the organization likes its chances because of cap-space issues of Chicago and Houston. ESPN.com confirmed The Post report Saturday, saying Knicks officials were “increasingly optimistic’’ about their chances because Anthony and Jackson have “connected.’’ And now Anthony has a more consistent point guard in Jose Calderon, one of seven players Jackson added this week.

In Anthony’s words, nothing is official until a deal is “signed, sealed and delivered,” and Tuesday he dips his toe into the free-agent waters for the first time in his NBA career — something he has said since October he wanted to experience.

Anthony has planned visits to Chicago, Houston, Dallas and Los Angeles, where he has an apartment and the Lakers have cap space. There’s no plans on visiting Miami yet, but Heat president Pat Riley has called the Big Four scenario a “pipe dream” — even though of the current Big Three, LeBron James and Dwyane Wade have opted out, and reportedly Chris Bosh will do the same.

March 18, 2014 · 3:44 PM ET

NEW YORK — The New York Knicks need fixing, and Phil Jackson is as good a candidate to make them better as anybody. With 13 NBA championship rings, he obviously knows what it takes to win. And in his 20 years of coaching the Bulls and Lakers, he’s dealt with superstars and role players, and he’s brought out the best in them.

There are plenty of questions as Jackson takes over the Knicks as team president and most of them remain unanswered after his introductory press conference at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday. He did say that Carmelo Anthony is “in the future plans,” but obviously wouldn’t say much of anything regarding Mike Woodson‘s future.

It’s clear though that Jackson understands that fixing the Knicks won’t happen overnight. When asked about what it would mean to bring the Knicks another championship, he admitted that was a “long ways away.” He knows that the franchise’s biggest problem over the last several years has been a lack of patience and continuity.

Since Jeff Van Gundy left in 2001, the Knicks’ longest-tenured coach has been Mike D’Antoni, who first oversaw two years of tearing down the roster and was dismissed less than two seasons into his real tenure, which included an Amar’e Stoudemire-led squad, the Anthony trade, the addition of Tyson Chandler, the emergence of Jeremy Lin, and no continuity whatsoever.

In his playing days with the Knicks, Jackson’s coach was Red Holzman, who was on the bench for more than nine seasons (and then came back for 3 1/2 more after a hiatus). Jackson, who used the word “continuity” early in the press conference, clearly believes the Knicks played the right way back then.

“This is a franchise that developed a team back in the 60s that was consistently playing team basketball for seven, eight years,” Jackson said.

Jackson wants team players. He brought up the “there’s no I in team” cliche and the thought of “building a culture” less than 30 seconds after taking the podium. But he knows that he can’t exactly flush the roster of its J.R. Smiths right away. He sees 2015, when the Knicks will have cap space and a strong free agent class to shop, as his chance to truly make an impact on the roster.

“Next year does have a group of guys together,” Jackson said. “Steve [Mills] and I are going to work on how to manage the roster and our financials so that we can have an impact in that area. We need another solid contributor.

“We’re looking forward to it, but we’re not losing sight of the fact that we are in a game-to-game basis in this business, that we want to provide a team that’s talented, a team that people will want to come and watch, and a team that’s truly competitive.”

Mills is the general manager who was brought back to MSG (he previously worked on the business side) at the beginning of the season, and who is tasked with helping Jackson deal with some of the grind (like dealing with agents) of his new job.

“I think that we have a teamwork situation here,” Jackson said, “that’s going to be really quite swift and capable of making some important changes as we move forward. And I hope my vision will stimulate that.”

And James Dolan? Well, the owner, who reportedly meddled in the Anthony trade negotiations in 2011, said that he’s “willingly and gratefully” ceding control of basketball decisions.

“I am by no means an expert at basketball,” Dolan said. “I think I’m a little out of my element when it comes to the team. I found myself in a position where I needed to be more a part of the decision-making for a while. It wasn’t necessarily something that I wanted to do, but as the chairman of the company, I felt obligated to do. And I’m happy now that we have the team of Phil and Steve to do that. And my whole job here now is about supporting them in winning a championship. And that’s a lot easier than what I’ve had to do in the past.”

Jackson said that he “wouldn’t be here” if he didn’t have control. And by “be here,” he says that he will be moving to New York, though family and medical ties will take him back to Los Angeles periodically.

“I have to jump in with both feet,” he said. “I got to move to New York, and I got to do this job the right way.”

That doesn’t mean that he’ll traveling all over the world to scout college and international games.

“I really want to focus on NBA teams,” Jackson said. “There are players that are on benches that are going to be available, maybe not in high-price contracts, that can come in and assist and help build a team. So there are a variety of ways in which we think we can build talent.”

If he has the right staff around him, whether Jackson is at an Iowa-Wisconsin game in January probably doesn’t matter. His job is to guide the franchise in the right direction and provide the continuity and patience that the franchise needs.

“It could be a wonderful opportunity to do something that I love,” Jackson said, “and that’s be with a basketball team and hopefully create a team that loves each other, plays with each other.